Volvo Trucks: The greatest range for my mom! The Volvo FH Aero Electric with a 780 kWh battery offers up to 700 km of range per charge.

Volvo Trucks announced that it is starting production of a new tractor: the Volvo FH Aero Electric with a battery capacity of 780 kWh. This represents a record for the size category used in Europe, achieved by placing all components of the powertrain in a single housing at the rear of the vehicle. This arrangement created additional space, allowing for two extra battery modules (packs) to be added—resulting in a total of eight instead of six.

Volvo FH Aero Electric: Europe’s electric tractor with the largest battery

The manufacturer’s description does not indicate that this specific model has any special designation other than Volvo FH Aero Electric with extended range. The manufacturer claims a range of up to 700 kilometers on battery power, which translates to a maximum of 111 kWh/100 km — though in reality it is slightly less, as the usable capacity of the battery pack is likely smaller than its total capacity. Unlike the Tesla Semi, Volvo Trucks does not promise that maximum range can be achieved with a fully loaded truck, also noting [fairly enough] that it depends on the weight of the load and the driver’s behavior.

The new powertrain integrates two electric motors and a six-speed gearbox. The maximum power output is 460 kW/625 HP. The MCS charging port allows for 700 kW of power, enabling the battery to be charged from 20% to 80% in about 50 minutes. With the CCS2 connector, the power output is 350 kW, so charging within the same range takes around 85 minutes (source). The vehicle’s allowable payload is 28 tons, with a maximum permissible gross weight (DMC) of 48 tons. This value applies only to certain markets, and it is unclear what proportion of the weight is accounted for by the batteries—however, we know that in a typical electric tractor, an additional ton of weight corresponds to approximately 130 kWh of battery capacity.

A advantage of this model is the ability to power connected devices (such as refrigeration units) directly from the battery in the chassis.

The extensive integration came at a cost: the Volvo FH Aero Electric is the only model in the lineup equipped with a six-speed transmission, while other electric tractors and Volvo Trucks trucks have as many as eight gears. Once again, Tesla adopted a different approach, as the Semi features two separate transmissions and two distinct engine sets: Torque, located near the second axle, is used for starting and accelerating. Efficiency, positioned on the third axle, is utilized during cruising at constant speeds.

Tesla Semi’s design diagram (pre-upgrade version) showing the Torque drive system

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